Civil War Pennsylvania Collectibles

I've decided to branch out a bit from strictly paper items for a short series of posts related to the Civil War and the collectibles still available from various states.  Civil War Pennsylvania collectibles will of course include items from Gettysburg, but although the Battle of Gettysburg stands out in the history books, Pennsylvania played a very important role for the Union cause for many reasons.  The second of the United States, Pennsylvania had a well established economic and industrial base that the North depended on for stability.  Not all Pennsylvanians were strong Union supporters, but they were some of the first responders to protect the capitol after the start of the war and over the course of the war, over 360,000 Pennsylvanians fought for the Union cause.

In a more general vein, I've noticed that there have been a lot of specials on television related to the Civil War so far this year.  I'm sure some of it has come about due to Lincoln's 200th birthday.  I've really enjoyed these shows when I come across them.  For all of the drivel put forth on many of the cable channels, I've got to give credit to the channels that focus on history and science.  Sure, they have some goofy shows designed to grab people's attention and compete with all of the cheesy bells and whistles offered by the networks, but in general, they usually put out some great, informative and entertaining shows.  If you enjoy learning about history and you have not already become a fan of these channels, I highly recommend checking them out.  If you are more of an ephemera fan, you will find that they often times have some great photos to check out that are not seen very often.

It is important to make sure that we remember our history.  I worry sometimes that many kids today are so used to seeing flashing bells and whistles every time they turn on the television or the computer that they may not take the time to learn about how all of that cool stuff got here.  I'm sure I'm not the first to have this concern though.  I was an exceptionally strange kid I suppose.  I remember my sister making fun of me because I read encyclopedias in my spare time.  I'm sure there are some kids out there now reading websites about science and history who will grow up to study even more about it.

Tags: antique ephemera, Battle of Gettysburg, civil war ephemera, civil war papers, civil war pennsylvania, History, pennsylvania civil war, vintage ephemera